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Where passion meets faith…In sha Allaah

Peace be upon you all. 🙂
I pray to Allah you are in the best of conditions in sha Allah.

The love for Muhammad SAW is a boost for Allah’s love for us. The question is do we love him enough?

It is reported that the Messenger of God (PBUH) said, “None of you truly believe until I have become more beloved to him than his father, his children and all of humankind.”

This love develops sincerity in our efforts to follow him (PBUH), lubricates the application of his teachings in our daily lives, and enables us to remain steadfast in walking on his path under the Prophetic banner and leadership as Allah’s chosen one.

It is quite humanly impossible for an individual to bring about a total transformation of an entire community, bringing change and introducing to them a new way of life as long as the members of that community do not feel a sense of love and respect for the one leading this change, as well as selfless willingness to accept his way of life as a blue print for their salvation and eternal peace.

Wealth and power in our days today may gain one followers and entourage but only for a while if at all. Our prophet (PBUH) had no wealth of that sort, it is only a superior level of good character and refinement of the soul, as that possessed by him (PBUH), which made it possible for him by the will of Allah to attain such prestigious position among humanity till date and forever is the case.

We know the value of Muhammad SAW to us, we know his position in our creed and worship, we know that our love for him is part and parcel of our belief therefore we should follow his ways regardless and love him dearer than all we possess.

No one on the soils of this life is like Muhammad SAW. We should protect his name, praise him, copy him and fight for his cause the way he has taught us to. We pray to Allah to help us in this and never should our love for Muhammad SAW be compromised for anything.

His Companions used to say to him, “We do not say to you what the people of Mūsā said to Mūsā: ‘Go, you and your Lord and fight. We are here leading [the way]. We fight on your right, on your left, in front of you, and behind you.”

Examples of the Love of the Companions for Messenger of God (PBUH) in the Sīra

It is reported that in the battle of Uḥud, when attacking the Prophet (PBUH) the enemy forced him to fall into a ditch and his life was then endangered. There was no way to save him from this situation except through forming a wall of human bodies around the ditch. The Companions competed with each other to do this. They stood around the ditch and exposed themselves to the arrows of the enemy who sought to destroy this human fortress while another group extracted the Prophet (PBUH). As a result, they were unable to cause any further harm to the Prophet (PBUH). As the bodies of this human fortress would fall one after another, new men would rush to replace them. May God’s mercy be upon all of them who taught us the true essence of loyalty and love for the Messenger (PBUH) through their actions.

Similarly, it is reported that a woman from the Anṣār came out after hearing that her father, brother, and husband had been slain on the Day of Uḥud. She said, “What has happened to the Messenger of God?” They said, “[He is] well. Thanks be to God, he is as you would like him [to be].” She said, “Show him to me so that I may look at him.” After seeing him she said, “Every calamity after your [safety] is insignificant.”

When the pagans took Zayd b. Dathna (RA) out to execute him after he had been one of their prisoners, Abū Sufyān b. Ḥarb (he was still a pagan at this time) said, “I summon you by God O Zayd. Would you prefer that Muḥammad was in your place today so that we execute him [instead] while you are with your family, safe from getting killed?” Zayd said to him, “By God, I would not wish for the Prophet to get pricked with a thorn in the place that he currently is [in exchange] for me to be sitting with my family.” Abū Sufyān said, “By God, I did not see anybody who loves another person the way the Companions of Muḥammad love Muḥammad.”
(Islamcity forum)

POEMS
****************
O Allah don’t judge my broken words
I do this all for love
Thinking of a man I adore
A man who has loved me more
I try to follow but i fall short
I recall his story, these tears they fall
Forgive me for my words are not enough
O Allah don’t judge my broken words
I pray for Muhammad, the man I love.

***************

I loved this piece by Novid Shaid

Oh Lord
Send Your peace and blessings and infinitum
Upon Our Master Muhammad SAW
Whose face glows like the full moon
Whose smile dispels anguish and gloom
With locks like strands of silk Woven from a heavenly loom
With eyes penetrating, and radiating certitude
With perspiration of the rarest perfumes
With tears brimming with love and gratitude
The one who smiled in the face of ridicule
The one who endured the curses of withering fools
The one whose face softened when he met orphans, children, the poor and the bereft
The one who gave to those who withheld
The one who served others before himself
Who stood in prayer until his ankles swelled
Who implored his Lord, deep in the night, while others slept
The final one to receive the Word through Jibril
The only one who humbled the might of Azrael
Flag-bearer of Musa, Isa and Ibrahim
Restorer of the light of Hajar and Ismail
And the moon split asunder at his behest
And the sun turned back at his request,
And the spider’s web and the dove that built its nest
And heartbroken palm tree and the Jinn who were his guests
Chosen above the whole universe
shown the light of God without hinderance
Promoted above the multitude of mankind
The Prophets, the saints and the divines
The supreme intercessor at the end of time,
Humbled by the pure presence of his Lord
Sobered by the lights of Oneness of his Lord.
And his children, the diamonds of his heart
The first to meet him in jannah, beloved Fatimah
And his blessed parents, Abdullah and Aminah
And his cloak he spread for gentle Halimah
And his wives, sweethearts and counterparts
With the youth of Aisha and the wisdom of Khadijah
And his companions of devotion and humbled glance
In Badr, Uhud and Khandaq, their faith enhanced
The Prophet, so longing for the sweetness of Ramadan
For the taste of Zamzam and the echoes of Quran
For the coolness of his eyes in dua
For the choruses of the angels from afar
The true servant of Ar Rahman
The splendour of Allah
The wonder of Allah
The navigator to Allah
The liberator from Allah
The final messenger of Allah
The one who follows him
follows Allah
The one who spurns him spurns Allah.
Our Nabi, the priceless key
The boundless sea
The pinnacle of mercy
The mirror of Divine decree
The Arabian, uniting the tribes and races of humanity

***********
Bless our Nabi Ya Allah
In numbers our minds can never count
And values our worth can never amount
In the numbers of Your creation that ever was
Richer than any poems would ever say
Deeper than the words in prostrations we pray
Sanctified in purity like fresh morning dew
All over again make his blessings brand new
Greater than our words
Larger than our thoughts
Surpassing our mortality
Embracing the realm of Your divinity
Bless the one who is never gone from us
Whose path remains our shore of comfort
To his name we chorus sallallahu alaihi wa salam
Even at death he outweighs all alive in worth
The echo of his life louder than all said and done.
Proudly we rise and praise Allah
The largest ummah, greatest victory of all.

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barkatuh. Well into the blessed month of ramadhan, may Allah shower His endless mercies on us all ameen.

Thank you for visiting this blog dear readers. Unearthing4deen is an islamic space created out of passion for writing and love for Islam. What better way to put my writing than for the sake of Allah? If you are here for the first time, each article takes its title along with a poem usually at the end of the page.

I used to think the word ummah refers to the muslim community only until recently a brother pointed out that the whole of mankind was the ummah initially.

As a theological concept, the ummah is supposed to transcend race, ethnicity, nationality and class. Moreover, it is believed that all of humanity was at one time ummah, a united group, until they fell into division and disobedience.

Thus, the mere fact that multiple religions exist is considered by some to be a sign of human sinfulness because it is a consequence of disobedience and selfishness.

“Mankind was but one ummah, but differed (later). Had it not been for a Word that went forth before from thy Lord, their differences would have been settled between them.” (10:19)

There are other places in the Qur’an where Allah speaks specifically about this ummah (meaning the ummah of Muhammad, upon whom be peace). Allah has given this Ummah a special, honored position to be inheritors of the earth, and with that position comes responsibility.

“If Allah so willed, He could make you all one Ummah: but He leaves straying whom He pleases, and He guides whom He pleases: but you shall certainly be called to account for all your actions”. (16:93)

THE PROPHET’S LOVE FOR THE UMMAH

“(The Prophet peace and blessings be upon him) is greatly grieved at your loss and extremely anxious for your good. For the believers he is full of kindness and rahmah (mercy, love)”. (9:128)

The Prophet’s love was not limited just to the believers. Allah says in the Qur’an:

“We have not sent you (O Prophet Peace and blessings be upon Him) but as rahmah to all the worlds.” (21:107)

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-’As relates that the Prophet once recited the saying of Allah ‘azza wa jal regarding [the dua of] Ibrahim, “My Lord! They have misguided many of mankind. If anyone follows me, he is with me; but if anyone disobeys me, You are Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful,” as well as the saying of ‘Isa ‘alaihis salaam, “If You punish them, they are Your slaves. If you forgive them, You are the Almighty, the All-Wise.” He then raised his hands and implored, “O Allah! My Ummah, my Ummah!” And he cried.

Allah ‘azza wa jal then said, “O Jibreel, go to Muhammad – and your Lord is most knowledgeable [regarding all this] – and ask him, ‘What causes you to weep?‘” So Jibreel ‘alaihis salaam came to him and asked him. The Messenger of Allah then informed him of what he had said – while he already was aware of that. Allah then said, “O Jibreel, go to Muhammad and tell him, ‘Indeed, We will please you regarding your Ummah, and We will not cause you to grieve.” (Sahih Muslim)

This hadith is in conformity with the saying of Allah ‘azza wa jal in surah Duha, “And soon will your Lord give you so that you shall be well pleased.”

On the day of Qiyamah, what is it that would please us? If we were to be saved from its unspeakable terror and be granted Jannah, that would be enough to make us fulfilled. We would not even think, let alone care for anything else.

Subhanallah the prophet’s SAW happiness and contentment lies not in him being granted safety, but rather in our salvation. His happiness is tied to ours. What would make him proud of us now is our unity and love for one another.

Such love would reflect in our prayers for each other knowing that our Nabi cared so much for us that our safety is his pleasure.

I found some heart touching pieces and would love to share. I however am not certain of the narrations, I put them here in good faith hoping to benefit anyone who reads. May Allah forgive me if I’m wrong and if anyone who reads it has contrary views upon its authenticity please let us know.

If you can recall the ta’if story, one will see evidence of his love. When he went there to preach islam, he was forced to leave the city humiliated, being stoned by street boys for 3 miles because the people wanted nothing to do with islam. He was running to save his life, and he didn’t even raise his hands in dua to destroy them.

He had fainted and even Utba, a great enemy of Islam, when seeing him in this condition, had tears in his eyes. His shoes had filled up with the blood dripping from his body. But when he awoke after fainting, he immediately raised his hands in supplication and prayed to Allah not to punish them because they didn’t know and to forgive them.

Even though the angels could have caused the mountains to crush the city in between and its people, the prophet SAW preferred not to have them destroyed because from their progeny might arise people who would be from his ummah, who would become muslim. Look at the conduct of our beloved prophet SAW. He neither cared for revenge, nor for himself. He only cared about his ummah.

He prayed:

“O Allah! I complain to You of my weakness, my scarcity of resources and the humiliation I have been subjected to by the people. O Most Merciful of those who are merciful. O Lord of the weak and my Lord too. To whom have you entrusted me? To a distant person who receives me with hostility? Or to an enemy to whom you have granted authority over my affair?

So long as You are not angry with me, I do not care. Your favor is of a more expansive relief to me. I seek refuge in the light of Your Face by which all darkness is dispelled and every affair of this world and the next is set right, lest Your anger or Your displeasure descends upon me. I desire Your pleasure and satisfaction until You are pleased.

There is no power and no might except by You.”

On the day of judgement, the prophet SAW will be brought a chair on the order of Allah, to sit on by the angels. The prophet SAW would be concerned about his ummah lest it takes him into Jannah and his ummah gets left behind.

He will put a hand on it, so that Allah’s commandment is fulfilled. His hand will be on the chair, his feet on the floor, and his eyes on his ummah. This is a day when every prophet will be asking for themselves, too afraid to ask for anyone else, when every mother will forget her child and care only for herself, when every friend will forget their friend and wives will not care for husbands, the prophet s.a.w will be one person who will be asking Allah to save his ummah.

May Allah give us such love for each other the way the prophet SAW loved us.

On his death bed while his soul was taken out he cried “O Allah, how great is this sakaratul maut. Give me all these pains, don’t give it to my people.’

The body of Rasulullah became cold, his feet and chest did not move anymore..

His lips vibrated as if he wanted to say something, Ali took his ear close to Rasulullah.

‘Uushiikum bis shalati, wa maa malakat aimanuku – take care of the saalat and take care the weak people among you.’

‘Ummatii, ummatii, ummatii?’ – ‘My people, my people, my people.’

And the life of the noble man ended.

He had us in mind even as he died, sad to say we are forgetting each other even while we are alive.

Let us wipe out borders and maps
Disregard the communal marks
Islam unites skin shades and tribes
Together in faith we face the tests

Syria cries, Somalia dies
We already are in the end of times
O Allah we may be in despair
But in Your promise our hearts long to fare

Afghanistan bows, Palestine bows
In la ilaha illallah we muslims vow
A faith to stand the test of time
They may shake us now, but in time will be fine

What are we thinking, them being miles away?
Did not Islam teach us for all we can pray?
Let us fall down and hold on in prostration
If Allah wills this could be our restoration

Our homes far away in fading colors
On lands in drought, we need Allah’s favors
As they clutch on triggers, we hold on Allah’s words
Our jihad is not just in fighting with swords

They may be breaking our chain
This massacre is insane
But we are praying for bridges
They would pray too if only they know what the walk on sirat is

What are we doing sleeping while a part of us is dying?
Wake up dear ummah in our prayers there is healing
If we can’t stand with them, we can stand for them
To stand on that day as one, today we must stand firm

What about the muslims of Burma
News hitting us with such mental trauma
Ruthless killing, so much intense hate
Enemies forget qiyam is the sure date

Flags of green, white green in despair
O Lord our father land is drowning in tears
Surely the help from our Lord will soon suffice
Unified we will be on the day of disgrace

They may kill our brothers but we live by Al-Muhyit, The life giver
They may starve our sisters but we feed by Ar-Razzaq, The Provider
They may hurt our daughters but we heal by Al-Muhyi, The Restorer
They may imprison our sons but we are free by Al-Wakil, The Trustee

If they have the army, we have Al-Muntaqim, The Avenger
If they own the media, we have Al-Basir, The All seeing
The enemies may be many but we are one by Al- Ahad, The One
They fight us and we fight by Al-Azeez, The Mighty

Let our unity set our mishaps ablaze
Ya Allah help us walk through this daunting maze
Drop the blankets and let the mats face the qiblah
Wake up, sacrifice a night for the ummah.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny)
said: O’ People! Surely, the month of God has approached you.
The month which, in the eyes of Allah, is the most virtuous of the months. Its days are the best of the days and its nights,the best of the nights and its moments, the best of the moments.

Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 96, pg. 356

POEM

DEAR MONTH OF RAMADHAN
If we could run towards you, we would run towards you
Not sure if our days are long enough to get us to you
Some of us died waiting
More would die within
Your shadow of mercy is casting over us
Blotting the stains of loss within us
Brighter are your days, thirty by His grace
Peace is near, Allah’s mercy hails
Our tears are to flow and will be wiped too
Preparing our souls to unload and mould too
We walk towards His gates, let your tranquil grace our steps
You are a blessing to us, this perfected sect
We are hopeful to absorb your radiance
Ever grateful to be given your ambience
Thankful to approach you, humble to accept you
Our Lord Most High has promised us through you
Now we spread our mats and keep up the nights
There is no darkness; all your days bring light
You unite us in faith
No room for slander and hate
We pray to observe you as we should
Rules and regulations, to uphold them we would
Abandoning our indulgencies
As a sacrifice for His promises
Hunger and thirst teaching us the reality
For beings like us are in places of such pangs daily
Side by side our shoulders are to glide
Toe to toe we leave no space for disunity to hide
Together our backs bend
Salaams to our prophet we shall send
Praying for our ummah
Ameen, Alhamdulillaah
Let us receive His clemency
Dear Ramadhan, O month of mercy

DEAR ALLAH…
The eyes are still wet O Lord
Prayers still written all over our tongues
Our foreheads are facing you and ready
Spare our lives, keep us strong and healthy
We have been weak but the news awakened us
Hopeful, knowing mercy is next to us
Receive us Ya Allah, receive us with healing
In our hearts are all sorts of ailing
With our defects we rise and rush to Thee
Let our worship please set us free
As the month grows let our faith grow too
As days unfold, let our blessings come brand new
Longing hearts are uniting before You
Trembling palms are cupping towards You
Restore our lost glories
Dry the wells of our worries
Heal the sick among us
Enrich the poor with sustenance
Grant our prayers with Your chosen answers
Divert from our lands life’s disasters
Make fertile the barren wombs
Pair our hearts as brides and grooms
Give us companions for our delight
To have, to hold, and to grow in Islam’s light
Fathers for our daughters, mothers for our sons
In good and goodness make our ummah breed in tons
Replenish our sincerity
Bind stronger our bond of unity
Revive the sunnahs we have lost
In keeping with our faith, as a trust
Give us peace
And follow our difficulties with ease
Help us pray in the rain or under the scorching sun
Among the crowd, let our duas stand out
In traffic or in the midst of work
Every day, from dawn till dusk
Shackles of pain, O Allah please break them
The prayers we present, O Allah grant them
Multiply our good deeds
Forgive our misdeeds
Wounds that still hurt, O Allah heal them
Scars that deform, O Allah diminish them
Bind the gaps and strengthen the bridges
Smoothen the ridges and remove our grudges
For our enemies, we trust in Your judgment
And for our struggles we seek the guide by Your intellect
We stand, we sit, we prostrate to You
Indeed there is no mercy if not for You
Counting down…time to make a change
Help us Allah, let our hearts engage.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) prayed:O God!Ordain not this month of Ramadhan to be the last one for my fasts. But should You ordain it to be so, then make me blessed and leave me not deprived (of Your mercy).

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barkatuh. How do you reply someone that calls you a killer when you know very well you have not killed anyone.

The muslims of today have no doubt heard so much of this as regards the ruthless killings and crisis going on. At first I answered every question and whenever I did convince someone on the rulings and meaning of jihad I realise I needed to do more. To fight the war on the field I have to win my heart over so the actual determining battle is within me.

Our Prophet (S.A.W) said that Nafs is our greatest enemy. When Sahabas came back from physical Jihad the Prophet (S.A.W) advised them that now their greater Jihad is against their Nafs.

Along with our souls, Allah (SWT) has placed within us something called the ‘nafs’ or the ‘self’, which propels our evil passions, our relish for food and other sensual gratification. It also keeps us occupied with worldly indulgence and makes us slaves to our desires thus preventing us from following the orders of Allah (SWT).

Its is a selfish thing and if the nafs is not pure, the shaytan enters and pulls it towards his evil intentions and over time the soul becomes weaker and weaker and eventually starts receiving orders from shaytans directly.

Those who cannot fight against these passions and are unable to bring them under their control may find themselves the servants of nafs or evil passions and thus moving away from the righteous path.

“But as for he who feared the standing before his Lord and restrained the soul from (his) desire, then indeed, Paradise will be his refuge.” (79:40-41).

Taken from ‘Ihya ‘Ulum ad-Din’ (The Revival of the Religious Sciences): God has armed soldiers which He has placed in the hearts and the souls and others of His worlds, and none knows their true nature and actual number except He. He proceeds to explain that the limbs of the body, the five senses, will instinct and the emotive and intellective powers are among those soldiers. Know that the two soldiers of anger and sexual passion can be guided by the heart completely or on the other hand disobey and rebel against it completely, until they enslave it. Therein lies the death of the heart and the termination of its journey towards eternal happiness.

The heart has other soldiers: knowledge, wisdom and reflection whose help it seeks by right, for they are the Party of God against the other two who belong to the party of shaytan.

The thoughts that stir one’s desire are of two kinds: praiseworthy, and that is called “intuition”, and blameworthy, and that is called “whispering” (waswasa). The heart is owned mutually by a shaytan and an angel. The angel stands for a creature which God has created for the overflowing of benefit, the bestowing of knowledge, the unveiling of truth, the promise of reward, and the ordering of the good. The shaytan stands for a creature whose business is to be against all this. Whispering against intuition, shaytan against angel, success against disappointment.

The Prophet SAW said: “There is none among you in whom there is not a devil” They said: “Even in you, O Messenger of God?!” He said: “Even in me, but God helped me to overcome him and he has submitted to me, so he doesn’t order anything except good” (Muslim)

The mutual repelling of the soldiers of the angels and the devils is constant in the battle over the heart, until the heart is conquered by one of the two sides which sets up its nation and settles there. And most hearts have been seized by the soldiers of shaytan, who fill them with the whispers that call one to love this passing world and disregard the next.

The Prophet SAW said: “The struggler is the one who strives against his soul/self in obedience to God, the Mighty and Majestic” (Tirmidhi)

Sufyan al-Thawri said: “I never dealt with anything stronger against me than my own soul/self; it was one time with me, and one time against me”.

POEM TITLE: GREATEST JIHAD
I sat alone, dusk came slowly
The cold war is on
My blood I shed
The clouds were brown
I watched the sun set
My palm, I put on my chest
My eyes, I gazed at the sky blue
For You Allaah, for You I will.

The Adnan calls and something holds me
Every time it holds me
You see me walk to pray
But deep inside I am crawling
I pull up and stand
Push and prostrate
Thoughts distract me
I cast away
Focus and I must pray
Sigh at salaam, whisper Alhamdulillaah
Inside I am panting
The challenge keeps mounting
This is jihad speaking

O heart of mine
You love
You want
You lead me to lust
You are strong and I am just dust
Your wind blows me
I get up and you blow me
Pride and ego let them go
And together we both will grow
I turn humble but your pride lifts me
I push you down but you hold and pull me
I’m on the ground fighting
This is jihad speaking

My beast of pride
I must tame
I fear its growl
It leads me astray
I sit still
But its not at ease I am
Inside is a beast, outside is me
Its canines threaten to pierce my skin
Drowning in lust
Burning with desire
I must gasp and quench
To extinguish its fire
This is jihad speaking

My lips bleed when I slander
Back biting words I must not utter
The gossip came
My tongue dares to spread
The lies untold
At its tip they wait
I’m tempted to say
But on that day its my neck I would slay
This weapon I swallow wags within
I’d rather bleed and heal
Than feed on flesh of men
Ya Allaah forgive me for I have failed
This is jihad speaking

I am dressed
Yet under dressed
Its a shield I have broken
The pieces I have thrown
All over this jungle
Now I search to find them
On the road I walk on thorns and stones
My hijab I must pull over
But society adorns me
These colors, so much luring
I am tempted
But I fear Him
This is jihad speaking

Words like venom reach me
Awakens the anger within me
I look ahead calmly
But its roaring within me
My patience is weak
Fume curbs to unease me
I clutch my head in my hands
Look at my eyes as they turn red
I need humility to keep bowing
It fights me but I’m trying
In anger I should refrain
Let wudu kill its rage
This is jihad speaking

I’m fighting as I look still
My gun I hold to my head
My arrow shoots to my heart
I’m hunted in my hunting
Preying on the predator within me
My sword is stained with my blood
I’m hurting
And He is healing
But still they would accuse me
I tell them I am a fighter
If that makes me a killer
I would love to start within
This is jihad speaking

I sat alone, dusk came slowly
The cold war is on
My blood I shed
The clouds were brown
I watched the sun set
My palm, I put on my chest
My eyes, I gazed at the sky blue
For You Allaah, for You I will.

Good day readers and I greet you with the most beautiful and rewarding introduction assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barkatuh. We thank Allaah for His mercies and blessings upon us and we pray for His guidance in our lives. Ameen. It’s been two long weeks and everything humanly imaginable may have occurred around us or in some part of the world we are not aware of. May the souls of the departed rest in peace. Ameen .

We exist in billions… and each person is considered as a unique individual. Our tests and privileges in life differ; our minds and hearts certainly differ too. We are however together called mankind, addressed as such and judged as such.

Imam Jaffer as-Sadiq (A.S.) has said, “There is not a single difference of opinion between two persons whose solution is not given in the Book of Allah, the mighty, the glorious. But their intelligence does not fathom its depth.”
In this Hadith, it mentions about two persons, these two persons can be anyone from any walk of life, so this Hadith is telling us that there is every answer to every problem which any man may have, therefore this book of guidance is for the complete human race whose problems are answered in a clear form within the ayats of the Qur’an.

We are not Jinn nor are we animals. It is true that man has been blessed with intellect and a higher thinking faculty making us have certain control over our environment and interactions with each other. We have not been left without guidance, rules and judgement at the end of it all. But are we mindful enough? The Holy Quran is guidance for mankind. Individualise yourself and understand the reality of what is before you. You belong to an identity which your Lord has addressed; know your rights and the rights of your brothers over you for surely someday you would give account. May Allaah make us among the best of men. Ameen.

“O Mankind! Worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, happily you may guard (yourselves from evil)” (Sura Baqarah, Verse 21)

I came across a text of 100 hadith about being the best of characters and practices among mankind but just a few are put up here (more in the upcoming compilation of Unearthing4deen in sha Allaah).

“The best of the Muslims is he from whose hand and tongue the Muslims are safe.” (Muslim)

“The best of people are those that bring most benefit to the rest of mankind.” (Daraqutni, Hasan)

“The best of people during fitnah is a man who takes up the reins of his horse pursuing the enemies of Allah, causing them fear yet they make him fearful too, or a man who secludes himself in the desert fulfilling the rights of Allah upon him.” (Hakim, Sahih)

“The best of mankind is my generation, then those that follow them and then those that follow them. Then there shall come a people after them who will become avaricious, who will love gluttony, and who will give witness before they are asked for it.” (Tirmidhi, Sahih)

“The best of people are those who live longest and excel in their deeds, whereas the worst of people are those who live longest and corrupt their deeds.” (Tirmidhi, Sahih)

“The best of women are those that please him (her husband) when he sees her, obeys him when she is commanded, and who does not secretly betray him with regards to herself and her money in that which he dislikes.” (Ahmad, Sahih)

“The best of marriages are the easiest ones.” (Abu Dawud, Sahih)

“The best of your garments are those which are white; shroud your dead in them and clothe your living with them. The best of that which you apply to your eyelids is antimony causing the eyelashes to grow and sharpening the eyesight.” (Ibn Hibban, Sahih)

“The best of your religion is that which is easiest.” (Ahmad, Sahih)

“The best of the prayer lines for men are the first rows, the worst being the final rows. The best of the prayer lines for women are the final rows and the worst are the first rows.” (Muslim)

“The best prayers for women are those performed in the most secluded parts of their houses.” (Ibn Khuzaymah, Sahih)

“The best of you are the best of you in fulfilling (rights).” (Ahmad, Sahih)

“The best of you are my generation, then those that follow them and then those that follow them. Then there shall come after them a people who will betray and be untrustworthy, will give witness even though they have not been asked to, will make vows yet will not fulfil them and obesity will appear amongst them.” (Bukhari)

“The best of you are those who feed others and return greetings.” (Hasan)

“The best of which man can leave behind for himself are three: a righteous child who supplicates for him, an ongoing charity whose reward continues to reach him and knowledge which others benefit from after him.” (Ibn Hibban, Hasan)

“The best Mosques for women are the most secluded parts of their houses.” (Bayhaqi, Sahih)

“Verily, the best of perfume for men is that which is strong in smell and light in colour, and the best of perfume for women is that which is strong in colour and light in smell.” (Tirmidhi, Sahih)

“The most beloved of deeds according to Allah are the continuous ones, even if they are little.” (Agreed upon)

“The most beloved of deeds according to Allah is that you die and yet your tongue is still moist from the remembrance of Allah.” (Ibn Hibban, Hasan)

“The most beloved of people according to Allah is he who brings most benefit, and the most beloved of deeds according to Allah the Mighty, the Magnificent, is that you bring happiness to a fellow Muslim, or relieve him of distress, or pay off his debt or stave away hunger from him. It is more beloved to me that I walk with my brother Muslim in his time of need than I stay secluded in the mosque for a month. Whoever holds back his anger, Allah will cover his faults and whoever suppresses his fury while being able to execute it, Allah will fill his heart with satisfaction on the Day of Standing. Whoever walks with his brother Muslim in need until he establishes that for him, Allah will establish his feet firmly on the day when all feet shall slip. Indeed, bad character ruins deeds just as vinegar ruins honey.” (Tabarani, Hasan)

“The best of people in recitation are those who when they recite, you see that they fear Allah.” (Bayhaqi, Sahih)

“The best of your leaders are those that you love and they love you, you supplicate for them and they supplicate for you. The worst of your leaders are those that you hate and they hate you, you curse them and they curse you.” (Muslim)

“The best of you are those with the softest shoulders during prayer.” (Bayhaqi, Hasan)

“The best of you are those who are best to their wives.” (Tirmidhi, Sahih)

“The best of you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.” (Darimi, Sahih)

“The best of places are the Mosques and the worst of places are the markets.” (Tabarani, Hasan)

“The best of dowries are the easiest.” (Hakim, Sahih)

“The most beloved dish according to Allah is that which most hands feed from.” (Ibn Hibban, Hasan)

“The most beloved servant of Allah is he who is most beneficial to his dependents.” (Zawa’id al-Zuhd, Hasan)

“The best of all deeds is the Prayer at its earliest time.” (Tirmidhi, Sahih)

“The best of Jihad is that man strives against his soul and desires.” (Daylami, Sahih)

“The best of all charity is that which is given to the relative that harbours enmity against you.” (Ahmad, Sahih)

“The best of all charity is that you give it while you are healthy and desirous (of that money), hoping to become wealthy but fearing poverty. Don’t delay until you are about to breathe your last and then you say, ‘This is for ‘so and so’ and this is for ‘so and so’’, for indeed, it has already been written that ‘so and so’ would receive that.” (Abu Dawud, Sahih)

“The best charity is to provide water.” (Ibn Majah, Hasan)

“The best prayer after the obligatory ones is the prayer in the depth of the night, and the best fast after the month of Ramadhan is the month of Allah, Muharram.” (Muslim)

POEM TITLE: MANKIND
I am one of us
The pathetic
The dependent
The crew of clay
Models of flesh and blood
The crowd of discretion
But still in subjection
The prevailing powerless
We rise, we fall
We are lost on our own
My kind are buried
My likeness have vanished
Makes me ponder
It could have been me or you
A part of us

I am one of us
A clan amongst the human race
The imperfects, the mortals
In relentless determination
But weaker than fate’s manifest
It is desires against resolve, surviving or dying
Robbers on our own highway
The victims and the villains
The killers and the killed
They are of my kind
Those that lie, that cheat and backbite
Together we dictate and lament
I am one of them
The kind that have lived and died
I am here, within the bereaved, a potential deceased

I am one of the guilty
Whose nature is to sin
Even after been led
Through a path to a flawless place
Still our hearts are insatiable
For fame, fortune and reign
Crowding our minds with perishing pursuits
Disregarding the essence of the purpose for creation
We know but yet can’t resist
We hurt but still won’t desist
We are like poles to the magnets of our addictions
In helpless hypnotic obsession
Succumbing to longings irrespective of warnings
We are not uninformed
We are just mankind

I belong here
An affiliate of the blind and mulish
In selfishness and greed
Our struggles we feed
Sieving out for benefits
And abandoning detriments
But halal and haram have more than just same consonants
With heaps of signs and symptoms
Our syndromes are exemplary assortments of defects
Temptation overpowers our resolve
We have in common an innate determinant
Of our deeds and misdeeds
If it good, the whole of us is good
We have hearts
We are some of us

I belong here to a certain identity
A seeker of the pleasers of Allaah
A thankful for His blessings
Yet a defiant to His commands
I fall in prostration to mend where I am broken
I am one of them
The sect that seek forgiveness
A sinner and a confessor
A beggar and a giver
Descendant of descendants
A fraction of a whole
The whole that will be called as one
Judged and justified
Ya ayyuhan nas…O mankind
I am one of you.

Included are parts based upon a lecture of Shaykh Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri.

Peace and blessings of Allaah be upon us all. Ameen. Alhamdulillaah by His will the site rolls fortnightly. It took quite a while to decide what a comeback post should be on. Some readers asked for ‘breaking up’ (u know your selves *smiles*) and I have promised to post it soon. All in all, the idea came up to me on a long ride home. There were quiet moments except for the wind and sound of friction from the tyres on the tarred road. I had something to eat and I had that happy grin on my face considering how much I had craved for it. So we drove miles and miles and calls from home kept coming in asking about our location and comfort. I would turn off my mobile at intervals to save up the battery till I got into town. Whenever I would switch on, messages and calls would come in again.
I enjoyed the attention and love of course having times I would go “aww sweety, aww maa to lol silly girl I’ll be with you soon in sha Allaah” and all that. Love is good I thought to myself. Be it from a spouse, parents, friends, colleagues or siblings. Not that I am much of a negative thinker but I like to do reality checks, it has helped me to worry less, expect less and most importantly trust God more. I imagined that I had no one to call me and check up on me. I pretended lonely, forcing thoughts of discreteness in my head. Asking all the questions, what if they were never there, what if I had no comfort, what if I had them at some point in my life and lost them….what if…..? The mobile phone, the money to call home, the ride, the people caring and loving .
I nursed silent Alhamdulillaahs as I stared out of the window. In my head I ran a slide show of faces and places I liked, adornments, gadgets and all that I thought made me happy. I couldn’t sleep though because of fear of highway circumstance. All the same I kept thinking, and I realised all that kept me smiling, the calls that kept me going on, my parents, friends, lovers and possessions would not be around for long. Day by day their life span decreases in health, wealth, love or devotion and it is not impossible to wake up to nothing someday, subhanallah. There is no guarantee. Everything and everyone I had and will ever have will come to an end someday except Allaah SWT. Why then should I love Him last, why then should I even love if I do not love Allaah. The attachment to Him is more necessary than the attachment to anything because He has forever and every other thing is just a moment in time. When one is attracted to something, one develops an attraction for that specific object or person. This attraction from the core of one’s heart or spiritual attachment is generally known as love. The nature and degree of this attachment determines the nature of the love. However, as there is no permanence to our world the nature of our worldly infatuations is also transitory. However Allah (swt) surpasses all barriers of time and distance and hence His relationship with human beings is also transcendental and eternal.

It is stated in Surah Maida (54) ‘O you who believe, whoever from among you turns your back from his religion (Islam), Allah will bring a person whom he will love and they will love him’. Allah (swt) is Deen (religion); therefore this verse is acknowledging the people who turn their backs on Allah (swt).

This verse proves that Allah (swt) possesses love for His believers. Some people have difficulty understanding this concept and only recognize Allah (swt) through His other characteristics, and overlook the fact that Allah (swt) is capable of unlimited and unconditional amount of love. Furthermore, we should realize that this love is beyond the comprehension of the human mind. This love cannot be quantified nor articulated, for it transcends speech. It is narrated in a hadith that if mankind knew how much Allah (swt) loved them they would lose all their senses in ecstasy with happiness and as a result their soul would separate from their body. Allah (swt) loves us seventy times more than how much a mother loves her newborn child.

Therefore the love of a believer for Allah (swt) must be more intense, stronger and far more superior than all other variables of worldly attachment and attraction.

The Holy Qu’ran states in Surah Baqarah (165) ‘The love of Allah in the believers is most intense’.

True lovers never feel that they have fulfilled the rights of love and always consider themselves lower than what they actually are. True lovers of Allah (swt) never feel that they have fulfilled the rights of worship like He so deserves.

The blessed status of becoming a Beloved of Allah (swt) is not necessarily ascribed at birth; it is possible for anyone to become an Awliya (friend of Allah). A ‘Wali’ (singular of awliya) can be translated as ‘nearness’, hence those who become ‘Wali’s’ of Allah (swt), are blessed with His nearness. That becoming closer too Allah is through performing Nawafil (voluntary prayers or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) until Allah loves him so much that anything good that Wali does, Allah considers it done by His Grace. So Allah (swt), metaphorically speaking, becomes his hearing and sight, his hands and feet. And anything that Wali asks, even the forgiveness of others, Allah (swt) so grants.

Thus if one acquires nearness and love of Allah (swt) by means of performing religious obligations, supererogatory and voluntary prayers, Allah (swt) then becomes their special helper and protects their limbs and organs and does not let them work for His disobedience. This shows the invincibility of their faith as well as Allah’s (swt) infinite trust in them, a relationship of eternal secure mutuality.

Once an individual is blessed with the nearness of Allah (swt), he will receive His love. Allah (swt) then will bless him with the best personality, one that is loved by all the angels, and all the people.

Narrated by Hazrat Abu Hurairah the Prophet (saw) said: “If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel saying, ‘Allah loves so and-so; O Gabriel you love him too.’ Gabriel will then also love him and make an announcement amongst the angles ‘Allah loves so-and-so, therefore you should love him too,’ and so all the angles of the Heaven will also love him, and then he is granted the love (made popular)on earth.” This Hadith mentions the reward of love for the sake of Allah (swt). A person who loves for the sake of Allah (swt) is not only loved by Allah (swt) but also by the pious inhabitants of the earth as well as the heavens.

It is often the case that if one loves somebody dearly, he holds him close to the heart then the lover will always look for ways and means of hearing about his beloved. He will become happy if others praise his beloved and become delighted if they remember him. If onlookers are scattered, and busy in their own affairs, the lover will desire that they concentrate upon His beloved just as he himself has become engrossed in him. In order to demonstrate his love, he may wish that he alone should not praise his beloved but that it should be done by all of creation.

When an individual loves a Friend of Allah (swt), he does not love him out of his own accord but loves him because Allah (swt) has chosen him to do so. Hence only pious people are fortunate enough to possess the love of Awliya’s (friends of Allah), in their hearts. For instance if one wanted to pour milk into a vessel they would obviously choose a vessel that was clean, in the same way, Allah (swt) only instils the pure, untainted love of one of His favoured person into a person whose heart is clean and pure, and not dark and filthy due to the blemishes of the sins that he has committed. Dear reader who would you rather love, a finite or an infinite. Who loves you?

POEM TITLE: THE LAST LOVE STANDING

Anxiety slowly released my being
Replaced by calmness out of His will
I questioned and I answered
Acting as the subject and object of reality
The loss or the looser, I could be any
Goodnights are turning to goodbyes
The emergence of dawn is not certain at dusk
Promises are broken
Brothers are at war
Hearts are not pure
I just cannot be sure
Instead of this uncertainty I give my heart rest
Trusting the Almighty, the true lover of man
O Lord establish my confidence in Your reliance

My forfeiture was my weakness
Cried at disappointments and prolonged grief
Attached my heartbeats to the incidence of mortals
I would call some the air that I breathe
How could that be, I ask
Now that I have lost some
The air did not cease
And my heart beat I still feel
I stand still and praise the one who is worthier
I sand still and love the right one truly
As I remember Him I pray He remembers me
For in His remembrance do hearts find ease
O Lord reveal for me Your love that I seek

Some longed for progeny and wealth
In dozens He would give them
For ages He would bless them
In fleets and mansions He enriched them
Their outlay and earnings He expanded
But still no word of definite era
Look how orphans are made in a moment
Widows left in grief
Loneliness created and belated in its span
If I had loved Him since
I would have long been healed
Gotten out of this world
And into the safety of His expanse
O Lord release my heart where I love in bondage

It’s a realisation after self-confrontation
An exodus from a greedy past to a more content future
I had much, but still wanted more
I lived not wanting to leave
Even if granted all, nothing is forever
Nothing has the seal of eternity
Most of all I loved hoping on consistency It was love for finite luxury and fading amenities
Attachment to measurable and superficial soul pleasers
I call them the accessories of life
The appendages to be tested by
Avenues for heart break and disappointments in time
For that I relay on the one who made me
O Lord grant me the pill to the pain You permit

A certain shame surrounded my tranquil
Like spreading ripples from a pebble’s plunge
If I could hide from Him, I would
But I couldn’t
He knows me too well
In my imperfections He had loved me
Amidst my wrong doings He had guided me still
So how could I deprive myself of this security?
And expose me to a thing of uncertainty
To tainted love or life spanned commitment
How could I forget the sure expiration?
O Lord replace for me my now with Your forever.

Peace be upon you my dear brothers and sisters. Thank you for visiting this site as we together try to become better muslims. I would like to acknowledge the request of a dear reader to make posts longer as she enjoys reading even though i intentionally make it short hoping readers would manage to get to the end.
My inspiration for today’s topic is my forthcoming exams. I wish so badly that I would be granted a sneak peek on the questions I would be asked. That would be awesome! If that would happen I would just master the exam questions and one thing is for sure, I’ll definitely pass. So that’s the scenario of this dunya. We do not know what the exam questions would be but never the less we prepare day and night….because we know there will be an exam on an announced date. Now the day of qiyama, we very well know that it would take place, we do not know the date and thus a reason to be prepared always but amazingly we have the questions out of Allaah’s mercy.
It would thus be a shame to fail. But look at us, how ignorant we are. Dear sons of Adam, dear muslims what are we doing? Imagine the day when all of mankind and jinn will be gathered before Allaah az zawajal. Imagine your name is called to account for your deeds. Even if you did well the tension on that day would be unbearable. How much more of a wrongdoer? Worse on, a muslim who has failed in obeying! We are all sinners that can be forgiven because our Lord is a Lord of mercy.
Compare the length of life on this earth to that of the hereafter. Its a case of a moment against that of infinity. Is it really worth it? Abandon that which won’t benefit you for that which would. Goodluck in revising the five questions that hold the key to your eternity.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The first thing among their deeds for which the people will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be prayer. Our Lord will say to His angels, although He knows best, ‘Look at My slave’s prayer, is it complete or lacking?’ If it is complete, it will be recorded as complete, but if it is lacking, He will say, ‘Look and see whether my slave did any voluntary (naafil) prayers.’ If he had done voluntary prayers, He will say, ‘Complete the obligatory prayers of My slave from his voluntary prayers.’ Then the rest of his deeds will be examined in a similar manner.”

“A time will come upon people that a man will no longer care about whether he gets his money by halaal or haraam means.” (Al-Bukhaaree).

“It is unlawful for a Muslim to sell a defective ware to his brother without exposing the defect to him.”

“Whoever wrongfully takes possession of the right of a Muslim by (false) oath, Allaah has made the Hell his abode and has forbidden him Paradise.” A man then asked: ‘Even if it is an insignificant thing?’ The Prophet saws replied: “Even if it is (as insignicant as) a stick of Araak (a tree from which branches tooth cleaning sticks are plucked)”.

“But teach (the Message): for teaching benefits the Believers.” (51:55)

Say (O Muhammad): “This is my Way; I do invite unto Allah with a certain knowledge.” I and whoever follows me (must also invite others to Allah, Oneness of Allah with sure knowledge). Glory to Allah! and I am not of the polytheists.” (12: 108)

Abdullah bin Umar (radhiallahu anhu) narrated that Allah’s Messenger(Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Do not wish to be like anybody except in two cases: The case of a man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it in the right way; and that of a man whom Allah has given religious wisdom (i.e., Qur’an and Sunnah) and he gives his verdicts according to it, and teaches it to others.” (Bukhari 9/419 and 6/543)

Abdullah ibn Abbas (radhiallahu anhu) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Acquiring knowledge in company for an hour in the night is better than spending the whole night in prayer.” (Tirmidhi 256)

Rasul Allaah (SAW) said, “The two feet of the son of Adam will not move from near his Lord on the Day of Judgement until he is asked about five (matters):
1. Concerning his life – how he spent it;
2. About his youth – how he took care of it;
3. About his wealth – how he earned it;
4. Where he spent it and;
5. About that which he acted upon from the knowledge he acquired.” [Tirmidhi]

POEM TITLE: FIVE QUESTIONS
Five questions I have to answer
As I rehearse I begin to stutter
From the start of my recall I perceive lapses
And before I reach a verdict fear grabs me and I keep shut
As I further question myself within these five questions
I playback the reality of my time spent
O my Dear Allaah please guide me
Before I get ceased and wish I had better answers…

My life …
My Allaah you granted me so much time
Given to me not in seconds but in years
Was the sunnah my way or did I push it away?
Who were my icons, sahabas or celebrities?
Have I achieved or did I let myself to be deceived?
Was I consumed in deviance?
Or did I consume myself in your remembrance?
Alerted by the adhan or hypnotized by western doctrine?
Did I rush to prostrate to You or rush through prostrations to leave You?
Were my manners right, giving importance to my parents’ delight?
Did I practice the shahadah or adopted practices far from this order?
Did I spend my life well? O Allaah will I pass?

My youth…
My Allaah You granted me the chance to reach my youth
Given to me not in sickness but in health
Devoid of all deformity but did I use my abilities well?
Did I walk to the masjid when you granted my limbs strength?
Was I deceived by vitality to have lost all morality?
Was I a lost youth misleading and refusing guidance?
Who did I follow, preachers or singers?
This phase of vigor, did I exhaust it well?
Did I strive or stray in trying to please You?
And when I faltered, did I repent or persist in my sinning?
Have I wasted my time or sacrificed for the hereafter?
Did I use my youth well? O Allaah will I pass?

My earning…
My Allaah You granted me sustenance
Opened doors of provision and chances for enrichment
Was I blinded by currencies or conscious of its sources?
Knowing I would account someday, did that regulate my earning?
Did I receive to accumulate or disseminate for blessings?
And when I did earn, did I deserve it at all times?
Or was I just a glutton in consumption of all kinds?
Was it the halal of another man given to me in dishonesty?
Or did I reject appeals favored by such circumstance?
When interests topped, did I deduct?
Or did I disregard in ignorance thinking it was right?
Did I earn clean wealth? O Allaah will I pass?

My spending…
My Allaah You granted me resources
I have eaten to fullness and worn outfits with adornments
Was charity my worry or did I deem zakkah not worthy?
What did my hands give in bribery or in show?
Did I refrain from the needy or stretched my help to the orphans?
And if I did give, what did I invest in?
In sadaqatul jariya or in musings of seeds of jahannam?
Did I waste in extravagance?
Or controlled the urge to do such?
Did I supplement the poor to be enriched for tomorrow?
Where has my wealth gone? What did I spend on?
Did I spend in good? O Allaah will I pass?

My knowledge…
My Allaah you granted me knowledge
Not in questions without answers, but in answers without doubt
But my learning I did postpone and my teaching I did delay.
So many Hadiths to propagate if only I mastered them
Did I believe their teachings or supported some novelty?
What books did I open, what pages did I flip?
And when I spoke to reference, what was my source?
Words from the Quran or of best seller novelists?
Did I read them all or fiction was my preference?
And while I watched some seek in Your name did I rush to compete?
Or did I lay back thinking my purpose was complete?
Did I learn and teach right? O Allaah will I pass?

Oh you who believe, have the taqwa of Allah, and let every person look to what he has sent forth for tomorrow (Q 59:18).

May Allaah forgive the errors in this post. Amin.
In sha Allaah to resume posting soon.